


Monokerōs

by AetherBunny



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-21
Updated: 2013-06-21
Packaged: 2017-12-15 16:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/851509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AetherBunny/pseuds/AetherBunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An uncomfortable AU where everything is the same but it's Mischa who survives and becomes a killer.<br/>Some little moments of the show adjusted for the new universe, and some new moments of their own.</p>
<p>It was improperly tagged before, sorry, it's fixed now!</p>
<p>(this is what I did being unable to watch the finale...)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monokerōs

**Author's Note:**

> Someone mentioned this idea on tumblr and I really enjoyed it. Consider their back stories the same, and Will will become her Starling.
> 
> I'm not quite sure what I'm doing, but if there is enough interest I'll write more.

The first time Will Graham lays eyes on Dr. Mischa Lecter her face slowly gives way to a lazy indulgent smile a well fed lion might give a zookeeper. 

She could smell him, fever sweet, from a mile away. Poor boy, thinks (although they are hardly that different in age) before wondering if she should rethink her opinions on "playing with her food."

He can't bring himself to look at her, and she enjoys that, his fidgeting speaks volumes.

That night he lets his dogs out and immediately they tear into the woods, he shouts for them to come back. When they do not he follows them. He keeps calling and eventually he is met with the sounds of something approaching, but it is not his dogs. It is a flurry of rabbits and squirrels above him in the trees. The little animals soon give way to foxes, pheasants, deer, even one mighty stag is running for his life. The forest is in terror. With each passing animal the smell of smoke grows stronger. 

Fire. 

He calls for his dogs again but it's no use he can see flames now, but there is something else. Something in the flames or maybe of them. He can hear it bearing down. This is what the forest was fleeing from. He can't move because he knows he won't get far. Whatever it is is almost upon him when he startles awake. Shuddering and soaked with sweat he counts his pets before laying a towel in his spot and lying down to feign sleep.

He meets with Letcter again, and Dr. Bloom this time as well. The women are cordial to one another, friendly even. Will's opinion of Dr. Lecter is still forming but if Bloom likes her she has a foot in the door. 

Alana took to her right away when they first met, said it was always nice to meet another woman so high in the field. "It's a man's world" she said.

"If it's a man's world Dr. Bloom, then we must become man-eaters." was her reply and Alana laughed.

Mischa does like her colleague, she is lovely, intelligent and provides a pleasant connection to humanity. She's always felt distant from other human beings, it started when she was very young. When soldiers took her brother away and poor sickly Mischa could not do anything to stop them. When that man spat those vicious words at her aunt, when her superiors took advantage of her. When she felt only absolute power as she took her revenge. No, she was not weak and sick anymore. Hannibal would be proud she is so strong and capable. Then again had he lived she might not have become what she is today.

Lecter was present for part of Will's presentation on the copycat and smiled to herself when she heard "his" and "him" her smile grew fond when she heard "art." 

"How are you so sure it's a man?" She baited him afterwards.

"Women don't kill like this." He explained removing his glasses to rub his eyes before continuing. "This kill was a statement, a taunt, female killers don't generally flaunt their work the way this one is, and their targets are often the people closest to them. This girl was chosen for her resemblance to Hobbs' victims, not for any personal connection she had to the killer." They were interrupted before he can go on but they both know he could.

Since then Will has seen what burned his forest. It's a unicorn, a great black beast with a thick spiraled horn and cloven hooves. It's tail was thin and catlike aside from a tuft of hair at the end. It continuously breathed smoke and, on some occasions, fire.

He tells Dr. Lecter of it one night in her office. 

"Before they were children's tales chimerical unicorns were monsters. They laid waist to the forests until they were hunted down and killed. A favorite and bloodless method of capture was to have a young maiden rest at the edge of the trees. The when the creature was lured in by her beauty she could place a bridle around his head and he would be caught. Their horns were sought after to make cups for the wealthy as it was believed they could detect poison."

"Unicorns aren't real?" It's not so much a question as a hesitant statement.

She only smiles again in response. 

"What does have to do with anything? With all of this?"

"Perhaps you're worried about your innocents." He makes a face. "Catching criminals like this can't be healthy for you." She reasons with him. "Do you feel like Jack Crawford is using you as his maiden to catch monsters?" Lecter asks after a pause.

"Are you trying to alienate me from Jack?"

 

She wonders if Hannibal would have like Will. He has the same underfed frame and sharp eyes her brother did. It's then she decides if she could not save her beloved Hannibal she would care for this man instead, she would keep him forever in one way or another.

She easily wedges herself in Will's life, and he does not seem to object. She is reliable, patient and unflappable.

"People are going to ask questions." He says one night over dinner. 

"Is that so bad?" She looks up from her glass of wine.

"No, but Freddie - "

"Freddie is nothing more than a vicious gossip. I'm not ashamed of our professional relationship or the personal direction it's taking."

"Is it taking a personal direction?" His voice climbs in pitch a little as he pushes some greens around on his plate.

"I simply mean we are together more often outside of our responsibilities to the FBI. I don't mean to presume but I believe we are becoming friends Will."

"Friends?" He gives a half smile that despite himself creeps into a full grin that reaches the corner of his eyes.

In truth she does not mind Freddie as much as she pretends to, but she will tell Will what he needs to hear. His genuine smiles are few and far between these days, and they are friends after all.


End file.
